Japan | ca. 1900, late Meiji period | Bronze with surviving gilding | H 56 × W 51 cm | 19.4 kg
This large Japanese seated Buddha dates to around 1900 and combines substantial cast-bronze construction with a calm, restrained sculptural presence. At 56 cm high and 19.4 kg, it was made on a scale suitable for a serious devotional or temple setting.
The hands rest together in the lap in dhyana mudra, the gesture of meditation. Because this mudra appears with more than one Buddha in Japanese iconography, the sculpture is deliberately catalogued here as a seated Buddha rather than assigned to Shakyamuni or Amida without stronger identifying evidence.
Historic gilded surface
Small areas of gold-toned surface remain in protected recesses and among the deeper modelling. Under magnification these residues appear integrated with the aged bronze surface rather than sitting as a uniform recent coating. The surviving evidence indicates that the sculpture historically carried a gilded finish, much of which has been lost through time and handling.
Japanese bronze construction
The interior retains an old mineral casting core and internal structural elements associated with hollow bronze manufacture. The exterior shows the much more refined chasing and finishing expected of a completed devotional sculpture. Microscopic documentation records gilding residues, oxidation and tool-finished surfaces.
Key details
Subject: Seated Buddha
Origin: Japan
Date: ca. 1900, late Meiji period
Material: Bronze
Surface: Patina with surviving historic gilding
Mudra: Dhyana
Dimensions: H 56 × W 51 cm
Weight: 19.4 kg
Condition
The bronze shows extensive loss of the gilded surface, natural patination, abrasion and age-related wear. These changes are integral to the sculpture's appearance and have not been cosmetically masked. The photographs include close and microscopic views of the surviving surface.
